


The Chronicles of the Dark One

by caveyoja (msbilder)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-09 19:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5553284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msbilder/pseuds/caveyoja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rumplestiltskin has a confession for Belle.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumplestiltskin has a confession for Belle.

Prologue

Belle turned on the lamp next to her chair in the parlor just as Rumple was about to start up the stairs. He turned to her and they smiled. “You weren't there when I woke up,” she observed.

He sighed, “Emma called.”

“What did she want?”

Rumple closed his eyes, and frowned for a moment as he gathered his courage. He knelt in front of her chair and took her hands. “Belle – there's something I need to tell you -”

“No – no – no -”, Belle insisted, taking a book from the shelf behind her. “You have to listen to this -” she started to leaf through the pages looking for where she'd left off.

Rumple shook his head, “Darling, please – this is important.” Belle put the book down, and looked at him with innocent eyes. He sighed deeply and took her hands again, “While you were gone...I...” he hesitated, his courage starting to flag.

“You became the Dark One again,” Belle completed his thought. Rumple's eyes widened and he looked at her in astonishment – all the more so because she didn't seem angry. “If I may read the passage I found?” Rumple nodded wordlessly.

“Neither the Dark nor the Light may exist alone, and they each require the other. Neither may they be destroyed, though they may be bound in whole or in part to a vessel. If Dark or Light is driven from its chosen vessel, it will be a terrible plague upon the worlds until that power is bound to a vessel chosen by the source.”

Rumple furrowed his brow, “The Chronicles of the Dark One?”

Belle nodded, “Volume 7, Chapter 36. I don't think Emma got that far when she came up with the plan to banish the Dark One.”

Rumple nodded absently and sat in the chair next to Belle's. “So – you've known- “

Belle looked down guiltily, “Since before you fought Hook.”

Rumple looked at her in surprise, “At the well – you were talking about the Dark One. Not wanting to go through that again.” Belle nodded. He leaned back, ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, his voice hoarse, “Then – why did you come back?”

She knelt in front of him and took his hands, “When there exists a vessel of pure heart that can encompass both Light and Dark, the two may be joined and the chalice reforged.” Rumple raised an eyebrow. “Chapter 38. The 'pure heart' jumped out at me, and I've re-read that passage so many times that it's burned into my memory. When Henry told me how the Darkness just disappeared, I knew you had to have become its vessel.”

Rumple brought Belle's hands to his lips and kissed them. “And you came back...?”

Belle brought his hands to her lips and kissed them, “I won't let you do this alone. I love you, and I'm not going to let being afraid of the Darkness make me abandon you.” She tilted her head and looked at him, “How long have you known you would get the Darkness back?”

He frowned, “From the moment I drew Excalibur from the stone. I remembered the Chronicles and all the pieces fell into place. I had hoped I could avoid it – but that hope was dashed when Miss Swan came up with her plan to banish the Darkness.”

Belle agreed, “It was inevitable at that point.”

Rumple sat back and brushed a tear from his face. He quickly pulled out his phone and began to dial Emma, “Well, then I can tell Miss Swan where she can put her misguided rescue mission to the Underworld – because I'm not leaving you either.”

Belle took the phone from his hands before he could finish dialing “You have to go.” He began to shake his head and argue, but she put a finger on this lips to stop him. “You need the Light. That died with Merlin, and the sword – Henry said it disintegrated. From everything I've read, I'd bet it's with Merlin. You need to get Merlin's Light, get the sword, and then bring it back here.”

He pulled her closer, “To reforge it into a chalice,” he pulled out the dagger and handed it to her, “along with this.”

Belle nodded, examining the new dagger that held his name, “There was only magic when the chalice existed – not Light, not Dark, just magic. It was a great sin of pride to try to change the nature of the chalice into a sword. That broke magic into Light and Dark.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “When do we meet Emma?”

Rumple pulled her closer, “No. Just me. You'll need to make preparations for forging the chalice here. Besides, they think you don't know. Emma's blackmailing me into going by threatening to tell you I'm the Dark One.”

Belle's mouth dropped open, “She's what?”

Rumple shrugged, “I guess blackmailing the Dark One isn't considered villainy?”

“But – I thought she was my friend! How could she use me like that?”

Rumple chuckled, “Well - she'd obviously not very good at it as you're 10 steps ahead of her.”

Belle harrumphed out a laugh. “She really wasn't a very good Dark One, was she?”

“Hook was far more suited to it. She lacked the temperament.”

Rumple's phone buzzed and Belle opened it, tilting it so they could both read the text message. She closed her eyes as soon as she'd finished. “You have to go.”

Rumple nodded sadly, brushing the hair back from her neck and kissing her. “I will return to you.”

She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his hair, “You better. Or I'll go down there myself to bring you back.”

 

**3 months later**

 

Belle stood in the waiting crowd and heard someone call out when they saw the light in the distance as the boat emerged through the portal. There were shapes silhouetted against the light briefly before it closed, and she thought she counted nine instead of the seven they had expected. She approached the water's edge as the boat stopped and they waded ashore and watched Rumple anxiously as she saw him leaning heavily on someone else. When they were close enough for her to make out their faces, her mouth dropped open in surprise, “Neal?”

Both Rumple and Neal hugged her, with Neal kissing her cheek before he pulled away, “Hi, Mom,” he greeted her with a roguish grin.

She looked over to Rumple, who beamed with happiness, “We were able to bring him back.”

“Pfft -,” Regina scoffed, leaning in to the conversation, “Rumple brought him back. Fought Hades himself for him.”

Belle's eyes widened, and Rumple glared at Regina, “ _Fought_ is an exaggeration.”

Charming leaned in next to Regina, “No it's not.”

Belle stared at Rumple wide-eyed, and Rumple pulled her close and whispered, “You'd be amazed what you can do when you've got both Light and Dark magic.”

Rumple nodded to Neal, who winked at her and opened his cloak to display the broken remnant of Excalibur.

Belle wrapped one arm around Rumple and the other around Neal, basking in having them both back. They watched as Regina and Robin and the Charmings all left for the convent to pick up their children, and Henry joined their circle, hugging Neal from the other side. Emma and Hook paused in front of them, avoiding looking at each other or at Henry. After a moment of awkward silence, Henry asked, “Is it ok if I stay with Dad tonight?”

Emma looked to Hook, who shrugged, and she nodded, “Yeah...I guess I'll go back to the house.” As Killian wandered back to the road Emma stopped and looked straight at Belle. “Belle – I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blackmailed Rumple about telling you about the Dark One.”

Belle felt both Rumple and Neal squeeze her a little tighter and she nodded, “As long as it doesn't happen again.”

She shook her head, and smiled half-heartedly, “It won't. Me or Killian.”

As she walked away, Belle's eyes widened, “Hook blackmailed you too?”

Rumple nodded, “Ages ago. Knew I'd given you a fake knife and threatened to tell you.”

Belle rolled her eyes and groaned, leading Rumple toward where she'd parked the car on the street.

As Henry and Neal followed a few paces behind, Henry asked, “Do you think she's gained weight?”

Neal shrugged, “She could use a few pounds – she always was too thin.” When Neal saw the crowd thin out he nudged Henry and showed him the sword. Henry broke into a grin, and Neal asked, “So – what do you know about magical metallurgy?”

 


	2. Chapter 1: The Journey to the Underworld.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to the Underworld begins - and Emma's plan falls apart before they even get there.

Rumple thought he did admirably well in hiding his amusement. Their moral condemnation was almost palpable. _They_ had blackmailed him – however poorly executed – and yet the mere fact that he had taken the Dark One's power back was enough for them to look down upon him. They asked no questions about how or why he had done so – they merely assumed it had been for his own gain. All things considered, returning the pirate to this family might be revenge enough.

He watched expressionlessly as they passed through the portal and saw it quickly fade into blackness. They had now passed the point of no return.

He turned and faced toward the front of the boat, glancing at each of his companions and taking stock of them. Snow was, as ever, bravely resolute and optimistic. David stood stoically by her side, sword at the ready. Robin and Regina stood closer to the prow – Regina less optimistic than Snow, but no less brave or resolute and Robin just as stoic as David, but with a bow rather than a sword. Henry and Emma were at the very front of the boat, with Henry's arm around her shoulders as she ground her teeth together.

Despite the weeks he'd spent in a coma, he'd been very fortunate when the Apprentice had cleansed his heart. Emma, and Hook when they found him, would be far less so. Both their hearts would be darkened and deeply scarred by the darkness, although Emma would feel it far more deeply as she had much further to fall than Hook had.

Henry turned around and caught his eye – the boy was justifiably worried. He would give the boy points for being less judgmental than the others in his family – not that he didn't get that from Bae as well. It astounded him that Regina let the boy come on this fool's errand. Emma's judgment was compromised, but Regina should have known better. On the other hand, Regina had to know he would give his life for Bae's son without a second thought and perhaps she'd bargained on that.

“Grandpa?” For a moment Rumple expected David to answer, but then realized Henry was speaking to him.

He raised an eyebrow, “Yes, Henry?”

“What's going to happen when we get there?”

Rumple clasped his hands in front of him to keep them from shaking. Even with the power of all the Dark Ones, this still terrified him. Making a display of that, however, would be ill advised. “The Underworld is meant for souls with unfinished business. When we near the shore, if there are any souls waiting for us, we will be taken to them.”

Emma shook her head, frowning, “No,” she insisted, grabbing Henry's arm protectively, “We have to stay together!”

Rumple shrugged, “Those are the rules.”

“No!” she stalked toward him, “You have to do something to stop it!”

Rumple stood his ground and regarded her calmly. She was falling apart faster than he'd feared. “There is nothing I can do.”

She poked her finger in his chest, with her teeth clenched, “Find something!” she spit out.

He looked down at her finger and then up at her face. He saw Snow and Regina in his peripheral vision and surmised they were getting ready to pull her off of him. “There is nothing to be done.”

Snow reached between them, taking Emma's shoulder and gently moving her away from him. “You should have told us before we left,” Regina chastised.

Rumple huffed out a laugh, “When would that have been? When you were blackmailing me? Would you have then once more threatened my marriage if I did not find a way?” He turned to look at Emma, “By the way – that's not a card you can play again. Belle knows.”

“You told her?” David asked, his tone surprised.

“I didn't have to. She figured it out.”

Regina crossed her arms and regarded him suspiciously. “How? She had already left by the time you gave us Excalibur.”

Rumple tilted his head and, out of habit, put all his weight on what used to be his good leg. “My good wife has read all nine volumes of the Chronicles of the Dark One. The ritual Miss Swan found was in Volume 1. The, shall we say, _fine print_ for the ritual was in Volume 7. My lovely wife realized the implications of said fine print had come to pass when she received Henry's call. Miss Swan and the pirate removed the tether between the Dark One's soul and the Darkness – but they could not destroy the Darkness. If it were to be left untethered it would wreak havoc – so I put it someplace safe.”

“A pure heart chosen by Excalibur?” Henry guessed.

Rumple bowed his head to him slightly, “Indeed.”

“So – you didn't do this for the power?” David asked.

Rumple shrugged, “I won't lie, I have rather gotten used to the power. But no – I did it because it needed to be done.”

“Then, why are you here? If we've lost our leverage, you could have backed out.” Robin asked.

Rumple raised an eyebrow, “Well, I had intended to make sure Henry didn't lose another parent.” He turned to Regina, “However, I did not believe either of his mothers were foolish enough to allow him to accompany you on this journey.” He shook his head in amazement, “Did you think this would be just a quick trip with no lasting effects?” He saw Snow and David glance at each other – had they thought their heroism would protect them from what awaited them?

“I made them take me,” Henry insisted. “I'm a hero just like them.”

Rumple closed his eyes and sighed. He turned to Henry, “When your father was your age he was days away from being drafted into the Ogre's war. He insisted that he was brave and therefore fit to be a soldier. He had no idea of what awaited him. It was my job – as his parent – to protect him. That is how I became the Dark One.” He spun around on Regina, “I expected Henry's parents to show equal care.”

Regina held his gaze, “I _will_ keep him safe.”

Rumple shook his head, smiling ruefully, his voice dropping an octave, “You have no idea what awaits you. Every regret you've ever had – every pain you've ever inflicted – every terror that's ripped you from sleep - they will all come back to you.” He walked over to stand beside Henry, “I swear to all of you – I will do everything in my power to protect him.”

The group glanced nervously at each other, and Regina put an arm around Henry and hugged him tightly. David shook his head skeptically and observed, “That's not all of it, is there? You could have stopped us from going in the first place if all you wanted to do was protect Henry. What else do you want?”

Rumple smiled. At least David still had his wits about him despite what must be an overwhelming worry for his daughter. He spread his hands and bowed to David, “You are correct. There is a way to destroy the Darkness, but the items I need are in the Underworld. While you're there for your pirate, I will retrieve them.”

“And you needed us along, because?” Snow prompted.

Rumple sighed, reaching over to Henry and squeezing his arm reassuringly. He began to pace, looking at each of the travelers in turn, “I have said this before, but I'm not sure any of you can truly comprehend how fearful a place the Underworld can be. We will each be dragged through our worst memories and regrets and forced to confront them. For some, myself included, that can be a near eternal torment. To escape in less time than eternity, the cycle must be broken – when I was here before it was broken when Bae pulled me from the vault.”

He reached the prow of the boat and turned back to face them, “In order to escape the Underworld, you will need me. And I will need you to pull me from whatever torment I fall into. I can't do what I need to do on my own, and you can't do what you want to do without me.”

Rumple glanced over his shoulder and saw a bank of mist approaching. He pointed toward it, “When we pass through the mists, we will be separated. Find each other – and try to find Hades throne room – that is how we escape.”

He turned his back to them and watched as the mists approached. Despite his apprehension, he had to put his faith in his companions. He had to believe that even if they had no desire to save him, they would need him. Until they did rescue him, he would have to take strength from Belle and her love.

He felt a nudging at his hand, and saw Henry reaching out to take it. He smiled grimly and nodded, taking his grandson's hand. It was cold comfort that the rest of his family would very quickly realize the folly of bringing the boy along. They would try to protect him, but would each be in their own private hells. He had the dubious benefit of experience, and it would likely fall to him to protect the boy. He would do so, regardless of the cost.

The boat reached the mist, and Rumple felt the air around him grow as cold and clammy as the grave. He closed his eyes and squeezed Henry's hand. A moment later the world shifted around him as he was taken from the boat.


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is in their own private Hell. Well, almost everyone. One of the group receives unexpected and ambiguous help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for wartime atrocities. Not graphic but very bad things happen (including and infant and children as victims of atrocities). If you find this triggering, please skip over the section with Robin Hood. (Stop reading when you see: "Robin recognized the landscape the instant he opened his eyes.", and skip to: " Emma took in her fifty square feet of cell space. ")

He opened his eyes knowing exactly what to expect, but his heart pounded nonetheless. His shop. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This wouldn't be forever. They needed him. They would rescue him.

 

“Why are we in your shop?”

 

Rumple's eyes widened and he turned to his right, surprised to find he still held Henry's hand. He glanced around the room quickly – they were thankfully alone for the moment. “This is where it started for me last time – he'll be here soon.”

 

“He?” Henry asked warily,.

 

Rumple closed his eyes and nodded, his voice starting to stutter despite his best efforts to tamp down his fear. “My father.”

 

Henry's eyes widened, and he gripped Rumple's hand tighter. “Pan is here?” he whispered anxiously.

 

Rumple let out a shaky breath, “It would appear he has unfinished business with both of us.”

 

The curtain to the back room slid to the side, and Pan entered, dressed in an immaculately tailored suit. “That I do, lad,” he said with a feral smile, watching Rumple flinch and Henry grow pale. “And you've brought the boy! Well – a day late and a dollar short – but still, better late than never.”

 

Rumple pulled Henry behind him, and stepped back from Pan. “We won't be here long.”

 

Pan raised an eyebrow, “Why? Bae certainly can't rescue you again. Even if he could, I'm sure he realized what a poor trade it was as soon as it happened.”

 

“He was trying to get to me!” Henry spat out angrily. Rumple held an arm in front of him to keep him from moving toward Pan.

 

Pan's smile broadened, “And a bang up job he did of it, wouldn't you say? Ended up dying in your mother's arms without ever having seen you again. Sad, really.” Pan shook his head and walked behind the counter, pulling out a box of index cards. Pan looked up as if something had just occurred to him, “Tell me – had she already moved on to the pirate by then? Or did she wait a decent mourning period after he'd died?”

 

Rumple turned toward Henry and took him by the shoulders, “Don't let him get to you. You know Bae loved you more than anything.”

 

“That he did!” Pan said triumphantly. “Certainly more than he loved you, laddie.” He pulled a card out of the box. “Ah – here it is.” He stepped back in front of the counter, and Rumple once again moved between Pan and Henry. Pan smirked, “I'd be remiss in my position as patriarch of our fine clan if I didn't instill some sorely needed discipline. But, you're far too old a dog to learn any new tricks – so - “

 

Pan waved the card at Rumple and a black cloud surrounded him, clearing seconds later, and leaving in Rumple's place a scared seven year old boy. The boy glanced fearfully at Pan and then at Henry, and backed away from them both. “What's goin' on?” he asked barely loud enough to be heard.

 

Pan smirked, “What's going on, my fine lad, is that it's time both of you finally learned who is in charge of this family.”

 

 

 

Regina's eyes widened. Her office? Her hell was her office? There had been some admittedly bad days when the first curse was breaking, but nothing she would have described as hell. Outside of when Henry had eaten the apple she'd -

 

Henry – where was Henry? She sprinted for the door and had just touched the handle when the voice called out to her. “I'm afraid you won't be able to leave, dear.”

 

Regina froze and slowly turned back to face the desk. The chair swiveled and she saw her. Cora, wearing a strained smile and sitting with a painfully straight posture in her chair. Well, maybe this was hell. “Mother,” she greeted her.

 

Cora stood up, her arms braced against the desk. “Good to see you too, my dear.”

 

Regina folded her arms across her chest and stood up to her full height, childhood admonitions against slouching echoing in her head. “So – you're my hell then?”

 

Cora shrugged and walked around the desk, “If it's any consolation, you're mine as well.”

 

“No, not really.”

 

Cora frowned and clasped her hands tightly in front of her. If Regina hadn't known better, she might have thought her mother was nervous. Cora cleared her throat, “Actually, _you_ aren't my hell. Knowing the pain my actions caused you is. Knowing what I put you through. With that stable boy -”

 

“HIS NAME WAS DANIEL!” Regina shouted, her hands balling into fists. She closed her eyes and took a second to compose herself. When she opened them her mother was looking at her warily. “You killed him because he loved me. The least you can do is remember his name.”

 

Cora softly replied, “Yes, of course. Daniel.”

 

Regina raised an eyebrow and watched Cora, who carefully avoided her eyes. Regina frowned – she didn't have time for this. She might relish the thought of watching her mother's remorse but it was far more important to find Henry. She stalked back to the door and pulled on the handle.

 

It didn't budge. She jiggled it again, and then grasped it with both hands.

 

Cora cleared her throat, “They won't let you leave.”

 

Regina spun on her, “They?” Cora gestured to the window. Regina walked to it and peered through the blinds, her eyes widening as she saw the crowd that spread out as far as she could see. “Who are they?”

 

“The people you've killed,” Cora answered softly.

 

Regina glanced back at her mother, and then looked at the crowd more closely, her heart rate speeding up. Had she murdered that many people? She recognized only a disturbingly small number of the faces in the crowd.

 

As if on cue, all of her victims silently turned and looked up at her with pure hatred in their eyes. She felt a cold hand grip her heart and backed away from the window. She barely heard Cora's sympathetic voice behind her, “I'm sorry, dear. They're not going to let you out.”

 

 

 

 

 

Snow slowly turned and took in the sea of faces surrounding her. She recognized all of them. Most had helped her when she was on the run from Regina and had died doing so. Some had made it to Storybrooke only to end up dead there. A middle-aged woman pushed her way through the crowd and Snow tearfully exclaimed, “Johanna!” and embraced her. Johanna did not return her hug and simply stared at her disapprovingly. Snow backed up a step, “What's wrong?”

 

A tall man emerged from the crowd to stand next to Johanna, and Snow took a step back from them as she recognized him. Graham, just as unhappy as Johanna. “You betrayed us,” he accused.

 

Snow shook her head, “No – we won – Regina changed. She doesn't hurt people any more.”

 

“Does that make it right?” Johanna asked angrily, pointing a finger at Snow, “Has she EVER tried to make up for what she's done? Has she ever tried to help the families of the people she tortured and killed?”

 

Snow tried to step back, but felt the crowd pressing in on her. Graham advanced on her, “YOU let her get away with murdering us all. We put our faith in you – we bled and died for you – and you turned your back on us.”

 

Snow's eyes filled with tears as the crowd pressed in on her, all of them shouting that she'd betrayed them. She frantically looked for a way out, but all she could see around her was a sea of angry faces. In seconds it became hard for her to draw a breath, and she slipped down to the ground, gasping for breath as she held her hands to her ears to try to block out the noise.

 

 

 

 

Robin recognized the landscape the instant he opened his eyes. It had been burned into his memory years ago. Years before Regina or Roland or Marian. Another life when he'd been a callous, privileged youth who believed in the divine justice of what he was told was a righteous cause. He wiped a shaking hand over his face to brush away the tears and grimaced at the smell of death that surrounded him.

 

It had been a small village just on the edge of survival like so many other villages they'd passed through on the way to fight their righteous war. Neither an ally nor an enemy, and just luckless enough to be between the two. They'd stopped there on the way to a useless battle and raided the village's stores to supplement their own. None of the villagers had dared protest what amounted to armed robbery.

 

Something had caught his eye as they were leaving. A small family – no father to be seen, but a mother and three small children, the youngest no more than a babe in his mother's arms. The toddler girl had smiled at him and he offered her a flower. She had giggled and he smiled at her as her mother and slightly older brother regarded him warily.

 

They'd returned to the village two days later after what might dubiously be called a victory. It was as he saw it now. The homes were no more than burned out husks, and the bodies of the villagers lay where they had fallen.

 

His captain had found a survivor – an old woman who was near enough to death that she'd been ignored in the carnage. After they'd taken the village's supplies, their Duke had come for his taxes. The massacre was the result of his rage when they could not meet his demands. Dozens of men, women and children killed by a monster over a few bushels of grain.

 

He desperately wanted to stop the memory there – as bad as it was seeing the men who had fallen trying to defend their homes, it was indescribably worse to witness the aftermath of when the Duke's men had killed all the defenders.

 

He couldn't stop himself as he relived it. The small hut with a door ripped from it's hinges. The boy was near the doorway, in a pool of blood. The baby unmoving and face down by the hearth. And the little girl and her mother were in the far corner.

 

He would have given anything to unsee them. He would have given his soul to have been able to prevent the horror that they'd had to endure before they were murdered. He focused on the little girl's face so he could try to believe that her soul was at least now at peace. That was when he saw the flower still tucked behind her ear.

 

He fell to his knees and sobbed, burning every detail into his memory. They'd given the Duke an excuse for this atrocity. Whatever dispute they had that called them to battle paled in comparison to the duty they should have had to protect these people. His blindness had allowed this to happen.

 

He had deserted that day and spent years tracking down the men responsible, but he had ultimately failed. He had failed this woman and her children. He had failed Marian. He had failed, and this was his hell. And he deserved it.

 

 

 

 

Emma took in her fifty square feet of cell space. A bunk, a toilet and a sink. No windows other than the closed one in the door, and a single light bulb too high for her to reach. She began to pace, her fists pounding against the door each time she passed it, muttering incoherently under her breath.

 

She stopped and glared at the door, screaming “I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” She concentrated, trying to summon her magic – the Dark One might be gone, but she had light magic before that. She closed her eyes and tried to focus, reaching for that space Regina had showed her where her magic lived.

 

She opened her eyes and looked at her hands. No magic. Nothing. No family, no friends. No one. She was alone, just like she was before Henry found her and dragged her to Storybrooke. Worse, she was now back in solitary in that hell hole of a prison.

 

She paused. Hell. This was her hell. Losing everyone she loved. Being powerless to help them. Not being the Savior any more.

 

The Savior had been her identity. Even when she was in the depths of the Dark One's curse, with all the voices whispering to her, she still had a part of her that told her she was the Savior. She was not the friendless, family-less orphan she'd been before.

 

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, but it didn't work. Her heart started beating faster, and all she could see was Henry's face. Why had she brought him here? What was happening to him? How could she call herself a mother and do that to her son?

 

She stared at the window in the door and her anger overflowed, her fist connecting with the door. This <punch> is <punch> all <punch> MY <punch> fault <punch>.

 

She stood shaking in front of the door looking at her bloodied fist and the completely unmarked door. She began to sob, backing into the far wall and sliding down to the floor. “Please no,” she choked out, “please not again.”

 

 

 

 

 

David hid at the edge of the forest watching as the dragons circled over the meadow. They'd lost his scent for now, but it wouldn't take long for them to try to burn him out. He needed to find water or a cave of some sort – something that would shield him when they inevitably started burning their way through his cover.

 

The question was, why hadn't they come after him yet? He'd found himself in the middle of a meadow with both dragons circling overhead and they'd taken turns playing cat and mouse with him until he'd managed to get to cover.

 

He cautiously climbed up a few low branches and looked across the meadow to try to get an overview of the terrain and nearly slipped when he saw the figure in the middle of the field. He couldn't make out many details – small, dressed in homespun peasant clothing, and their arms raised to the sky as if they were begging for mercy.

 

He slid out of the tree and crept along the edge of the forest until he was as close as he could get to the person in the field. He could now see that it was a fairly small woman, but her back was to him and he couldn't make out any more details. He crouched down and sprinted to her, touching her shoulder as he passed by her, and sliding his hand down to her elbow. “They'll attack soon – it's safer in the woods,” he whispered hurriedly.

 

He froze in his tracks when she turned to him. A jagged scar cut across both her eyes which looked almost as if they'd been sewn shut. Her head was at an angle, as if she were trying to guess his position from the sound of his voice. And she was so young – she couldn't be any older than Henry. “What happened to you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

She brought her hands down and held them out to him – he took a step back and gasped as a large eye in each hand blinked at him. When she spoke her voice was otherworldly, “David – the shepherd prince – the bravest of hearts, but he does not heed his heart's advice.”

 

He heard the wind rushing above him and saw one of the dragons diving. As he reached out to grab the girl and drag her to safety, she shrugged out of his grasp and raised her arms to the sky again. The dragon hovered, it's wings buffeting them with strong gusts, and then flew back up to continue circling above them again.

 

“You're keeping them away?”

 

“Dragons are easily distracted.”

 

David choked out a relieved laugh, “I guess so. But – you can't do this forever. How can you get away?”

 

She turned her face to him again. If she had eyes, he would have said she was looking at him with curiosity. “I have a message for you.”

 

“A message?”

 

“The final battle is upon us. You must find the lost one in the wilderness so that he can free the truest and most steadfast of hearts.”

 

David stared at her for a moment, waiting for more directions, and then prompted, “That's it?” She shrugged at him and he prompted her again, “Ok – well – who exactly is the lost one?”

 

“You will recognize him when you see him.”

 

“Right. Well, then – how do I find him?”

 

“Travel through the forest – the wilderness lies past its furthest reach.”

 

David crossed his arms impatiently and frowned. “You're not being very clear about this.”

 

“The future is fluid – the more you try to grasp it the further it slips away."

David glanced up at the dragons, and then back to the forest. Hiding from the dragons wasn't getting him any closer to Snow or Emma or Henry, and this girl was at least protecting him from them. But, how did he know he wasn't going to end up further away from his family and faced with something worse than two justifiably angry dragons? What reason did he have to trust her?

 

“Because it is your nature,” he jumped as the girl answered his unspoken question.

 

David looked at the girl for a few moments longer, and then nodded. “Alright. I'll do it. But, what about you? How are you going to get away from the dragons?”

 

“The dragons are no danger to me.”

 

“What is your name?”

 

She tilted her head toward him curiously again, “I have no name but am known by many. You may ask Rumplestiltskin about me when you find him and he is returned to himself.”

 

David opened his mouth to ask what exactly that meant, but decided better of it. He had enough riddles and didn't need any more. “Thank you,” he grasped her arm, squeezing it gently as she nodded to him. He sprinted back to the forest and looked back when he reached its edge. The girl had dropped her arms and both dragons dove toward her, spraying fire ahead of them. David turned to sprint back to her when he saw her disappear in a silver cloud. The dragons hovered for a moment, angry at their prey escaping, and then turned toward David. He turned and ran into the forest without looking back again.

 


	4. Chapter 3:  Meanwhile back in Storybrooke...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile back in Storybrooke, Belle discusses the excursion to Hell. In Hell, David makes progress and Rumple finds his father.
> 
> Possible trigger warnings for child abuse. Not explicit, but please skip after David's section if this is potentially triggering.

Belle sat the the counter at Granny's and stared blankly at the plate of food in front of her. She knew she should eat but was too worried to have anything approaching an appetite. Intellectually both she and Rumple knew that he had to go – that it was the only way to destroy the Darkness and completely free him.

Knowing something intellectually was one thing - her emotions were a different matter. He had spared her the details of his previous stay in hell, but she'd seen the nightmares. Not all the nightmares were of hell – Zelena saw to that – but they were the worst. The prospect of returning to Hell terrified him, and that worried her not just because she didn't want him to suffer but also because she knew how bad his decisions were when he was scared.

She'd been watching from the edge of the trees when he left with the others. She doubted any of them had seen it. They'd treated him with barely disguised contempt and it was all she could do to stay hidden and not take them to task. Hadn't they learned anything from how the curse had affected Emma and Hook? They would only lift a finger to help him if it was convenient, but expected him – and her – to drop everything when they needed something. That would change when this was over – she'd make sure of that.

She couldn't dwell on that now. She had a job to do. It was far less dangerous than his, but it still needed to be done. She needed to pull together the pieces for the spell to reforge Excalibur and the new Dagger into the Grail. After she'd returned to the house, she'd spent the rest of the night immersed in the Chronicles, making lists of references to look up and items to find in the shop. He would need them when he returned, and she had to believe that he would return. She may not know when, but he would be back.

She bit her lip – she'd give him until the solstice. If he wasn't back by then she'd shift her research into portals into the Underworld. Opening portals had become easier after the Dark Curse had brought them all here – the barriers between the realms had been weakened she theorized. If she had to, she'd steal the Jolly Roger or patch up Jefferson's hat. Rumple wasn't going to get away from her that easily.

“Yo – sister!”

Belle looked up, startled, and found both Granny and Leroy staring at her. She pasted on a smile, and apologized, “I'm sorry – I guess I was lost in thought.”

Granny and Leroy looked at each other. Granny smirked, “Is that what we're calling it these days?” Leroy didn't even try to hide a chuckle from Belle.

“Excuse me?” Belle asked, confused.

Granny leaned on the counter, “You're back with him, aren't you?”

“Well – yes. He is still my husband,” she answered warily.

Leroy glanced at Granny, “You booted him out before, and he was your husband.”

Belle crossed her arms on the counter, and took in the looks on their faces. She supposed they were entitled to tease her a bit after her adamant insistence months ago that her marriage was completely over. “We have reconciled,” she stated simply, knowing there was no hope that they'd just drop the topic.

Granny chuckled, “Well, good. He's always in a better mood on rent day when he's got you to go home to.” She looked up at the clock, “Speaking of which – he should be here by now.” Granny raised an eyebrow and smirked again, “So – what'd you do - tire him out?”

Belle's mouth dropped open in shock and she could feel herself blushing. “That is none of your business, Mrs. Lucas!”

Granny scrunched up her nose and nodded to Leroy in confirmation. Leroy waved a hand frantically, and stood up, finishing the last of his coffee, “First – way to much information. Second – I gotta stop by the sheriff's office to see which roads he wanted inspected this week -”

“He's not there,” Belle interrupted.

Leroy looked up at the clock – 8:15. “Charming's always in by 8.”

Belle shook her head, “They left. Emma, Snow, Charming – they all left for the Underworld.”

Leroy stared at Belle, “The Underworld?” Belle nodded in confirmation. “Did they want to go there?” he asked suspiciously.

“Emma wanted to rescue Hook. They wanted to help her.” When she said it out loud, it really didn't make much sense. Last minute attack of conscience notwithstanding, Hook had just tried to kill half the town.

Granny narrowed her eyes, “Does the Mayor know about this?”

Belle pushed her plate away, folding her hands on the table in front of her,, “She went with them.”

Granny threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes, picking up a coffee pot to refill Leroy's cup when he sat back down, “She left Henry all on his own?”

“They took him with them.” From the look on Granny's and Leroy's face, Belle was sure that news made even less sense to them than going to the Underworld in the first place did.

“They did WHAT?” Leroy exploded, confirming her expectations. “They took a kid to Hell to rescue a guy who tried to force us all to go to Hell?”

Belle raised her hands defensively, “I didn't say I agreed with it. Or that it made sense.”

“And your husband let them take his grandson?” Granny asked skeptically, leaning against the counter.

“Rumple's with them.” Belle picked up her fork and began to pick at her pancakes.

Granny looked at Leroy disapprovingly as he slammed his hand down on the counter, “No – this makes no sense. Why in the hell would Gold want to help Hook? That bastard has been after him for centuries.”

Belle sighed. No use in keeping it a secret – they'd find out sooner or later. “They blackmailed Rumple. Said they'd tell me he was the Dark One again.”

Granny crossed her arms, knowing she was missing something, “Why would they do that?”

Belle looked between the two of them. “Because he is.”

Leroy's face paled as he stammered out, “Why? Why is he the Dark One again? I thought we got rid of the Darkness?”

Belle leaned forward, speaking softly enough so that they wouldn't be overheard, “You can't get rid of the Darkness the way Emma tried. It would have only freed it – and it would have just picked someone else. He took it back because it was safest for him to keep it.”

They were silent for a moment as they processed the information. Finally Granny nodded, “Well – at least he wasn't as bad as either Hook or Emma.”

Leroy nodded in agreement, his expression still dazed, “Yeah. He only messed with you if you went to him for a deal.”

Granny frowned, “So – if they were blackmailing him, but you already knew – why did he go?.”

Belle smiled, “He's got a plan.”

Leroy groaned and banged his head against the counter while Granny let out a humourless chuckle, “A plan? His plans haven't worked out all that well for bystanders like us.”

“This is different,” Belle said, putting a comforting hand on Leroy's back as he groaned softly in response. “This is from the Chronicles of the Dark One. Emma didn't know the book well enough – Rumple has been studying it for centuries. We will be able to destroy the curse.”

Leroy raised his head and looked at Belle warily, “You _sure_ about that sister?”

As Belle was about to answer, the door to the diner opened, slamming against the back wall. Sneezy and Bashful glanced around the room, and then rushed to Leroy when they found him. “They're trying to break into the Sheriff's office!” Sneezy shouted breathlessly, followed by a sneeze.

Granny held up a hand to stop them, and calmly asked, “Who are what?”

Bashful glanced at Leroy, who nodded for him to continue. “Guinivere and some of the knights from Camelot – they're trying to break out King Arthur.”

“And what am I supposed to do about it?” Leroy asked.

Bashful and Sneezy gave each other a perplexed look. Sneezy ventured, “Well – we figured one of us would be sheriff again - “

“Nuh-unh,” Leroy cut him off, standing up and folding his arms. “Not after what happened last time. No dwarf is going to risk his ass for this town and get turned into a statue or a tree or anything else ever again. Is that clear?” The two dwarves looked at each other, shrugged, and then nodded, sitting down at the counter next to Leroy's seat.

Belle looked at them in surprise, her mouth open as she gestured toward the door, “But – what about -”

Granny frowned, muttering under her breath as she slid the coffee pot over to Bashful, ordering, “Keep everyone's mugs filled until I get back.” She untied her apron, reached under the counter for her crossbow, and headed out the door without looking back. Leroy and Belle stared after her, looked at each other, and then scrambled off their stools and out the door to follow.

 

* * *

 

David had no way to gauge time. The sky was a perpetual gray and he wasn't sure if he'd been wandering in the forest for hours or days. He had been marking the trees along his path as he went, but he had no guarantee that he was headed in the right direction. He had considered climbing one of the larger trees to get a better idea of his surroundings, but wrote the idea off given that the dragons might be over the forest.

The forest to his left seemed less dense so he veered in that direction. As he hacked his way through the undergrowth the girl's words echoed back to him. _Does not heed his heart's advice_. He couldn't deny that. He'd known it was wrong to go after Killian. Dead should stay dead. They should have respected Killian's wishes – both times – and let him die in peace. But, as he always did, he let his guilt over how he'd failed Emma overwhelm his common sense, and he supported her even though he knew it was wrong.

He hadn't needed Rumple to point out that bringing Henry was a bad idea either. He'd tried to argue against it, but not very hard if he was honest about it. Henry had been as adamant about going as his mother, and Snow had been confident that they would weather whatever Hell had in store for them.

Snow had been raised as a royal and was much better at leadership than he was, so he was more than willing to stand behind her and support her. But he'd learned that she could make bad decisions, usually with the same absolute confidence as her good decisions. He'd known that going to Hell for Killian was a bad idea, and taking Henry along was an even worse one, but he'd ignored his instincts and told himself that Snow and Emma knew what they were doing and needed his support. But now – with Henry and Emma and Snow out there somewhere facing down whatever was their equivalent of a wronged dragon – he regretted his silence.

He chopped through one last set of brambles and had to quickly grab on to a hanging branch to stop himself from falling. He had very suddenly reached the end of the forest, and found himself at the top of a steep cliff that extended as far as he could see. At the base of the cliff was what had to be the wastelands – a vast blinding desert with hazy outcrops in the far distance. If he squinted it was even possible that there was a volcano somewhere out there.

He sat down and stared out at the desert. He was supposed to find someone out there. It hadn't exactly sounded easy when the girl had given him the task, but he had hoped for at least a little guidance along the way. In the old days Rumple would have popped up from behind a rock and at least pointed him in the right direction. But now he was on his own.

He turned back to the forest and began gathering any vines and roots that looked strong enough to support him – 80 feet or so should work, and that would take a while to put together. As he emerged from the forest a glint in the desert caught his attention. He shaded his eyes and squinted, finally making out a cloud of dust in the distance. There were figures that were probably human chased by something that most definitely wasn't human. Some sort of monstrous cross between a snake and a lion, with wings that allowed it to dive down on its victims.

As it was about to swoop down on a small group it suddenly jerked backward and fell to the ground. David looked back in the direction it had been pulled and saw another human who was pulling on something. The former prey surrounded the now tied down creature and finished it off quickly, but the one who had pulled it down stood apart from them and then wandered away when it was obvious the monster was no longer a danger.

The girl was right, David thought, watching the lone figure watch away from the group. I do know who will help us.

 

* * *

 

Henry knelt down in front of the little boy, drawing his attention away from Pan. “Hey – my name is Henry. You're Rumplestiltskin, right?”

Rumple nodded, glancing over Henry's shoulder to Pan, “You can call me Rumple. Do you know where my Papa is? His name is Malcolm.”

Henry glanced back at Pan who was still wearing a condescending smirk. “I'm sorry, Rumple. I don't know where Malcolm is,” Henry said. Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth. Explaining the whole truth to a scared kid was probably a bad idea.

“But I do, lad,” Pan spoke up behind them. He pulled another card out of the box and waved it at himself. He was enveloped by a green cloud, and when it dissipated he had turned back into Malcolm. He still had Pan's smirk, and kept his eyes fixed on Henry as he asked, “Did you miss me Rumple?”

The little boy's eyes grew wide and he ran excitedly to his father, throwing his arms around him. “Papa! I was so worried when I didn't see you!”

Malcolm looked down at Rumple coldly, “You know better than that, Rumple. What's the first rule?”

Rumple nodded, his eyes fearful, “I'm sorry, Papa – I forgot.”

“What is it?” Malcolm prodded, his voice stern.

“Never tell anyone your name,” Rumple whispered.

Malcolm slammed his hand down on the counter, “Louder!” he shouted.

The little boy flinched and began to cry, but did as his father ordered and repeated more loudly, “Never tell anyone your name, Papa.”

Henry moved between the two, and tried to push Malcolm away, shouting, “Leave him alone!” Malcolm smiled, reaching back into the box and pulling out another card, waving it at Henry. Henry froze in place – unable to move or speak.

Rumple looked up at Henry, “Papa – what'd you do?”

“No one tells me how to raise my boy, “ he growled.

“Please, Papa – stop it. Please let him go.”

Malcolm circled Henry and shook his head, “No, laddie. He's the author – that means he gets to watch and not interfere. And I've got a job to do. A man's got a duty to teach his son – and you've forgotten the rules.”

Rumple began to cry harder, knowing what Malcolm intended, “No, Papa, please. I'll be better, I promise.”

Malcolm reached down and picked Rumple up by the front of his jacket, growling out, “You're lucky to have me, boy. Lucky to have me teach you to survive in spite of your foolishness. Someday I'll kick you out of the nest, m'boy – but today you have a lesson to learn.”


	5. Chapter 4: There's a New Sheriff in Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a result of Guinivere's attempt to free Arthur, Storybrooke gets a new Sheriff. Back in the Underworld, Regina gets a clue about how to escape, David finds the lost one the seer sent him for, and Henry takes action to protect a de-aged Rumple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, but life got a bit busy so this was back-burnered. To recap the story so far:  
> \-- Emma's plan would not have destroyed the darkness, just freed it.  
> \-- Rumple is in the Underworld looking for Excalibur so that he can bring it back to Storybrooke where he and Belle plan to forge Excalibur back into a chalice, reuniting light and dark magic and thus finally destroying dark magic.  
> \-- Once the heroes got into the Underworld, they were separated.  
> \-- Regina found herself locked in her office with her mother, surrounded by her victims.  
> \-- Snow is also surrounded by Regina's victims - angry because she let Regina get away with murdering them.  
> \-- Robin is reliving wartime atrocities that turned him into a bandit.  
> \-- Emma is alone in a jail cell.  
> \-- David is saved from dragons by a seer who sends him on a quest to find a "lost one" in the wilderness.  
> \-- And Rumple and Henry find themselves in Rumple's shop, which is being run by Pan. Pan de-ages Rumple, and paralyzes Henry, who watches helplessly as Pan hurts Rumple.
> 
> Thanks for your comments - and the next chapter will deal with why Belle didn't go to the Underworld with Rumple.

Granny had only a few seconds head start but she still beat Belle and Leroy to the Sheriff's office by a good minute. When they arrived she was holding her crossbow on Guinivere and four of Arthur's knights, standing between them and a very distressed Sleepy who had been trying to hold them off on his own.

Guinivere stared imperiously at Granny, declaring, “You have no right to hold our king.”

Granny raised and eyebrow and shot back, “He's not a king here. We don't have kings any more.”

Guinivere tilted her head, considering her opponent. “Then, is it your practice to imprison men indefinitely without charge?”

Granny let a slight grin cross her face, keeping track of the knights while she held the queen in her sights. She heard shuffling to the side and smelled the unmistakable mix of smoke and forest that meant Robin's men had arrived and were somewhere behind her, working their way to the front of the crowd that had gathered. They'd been complaining about the Camelot refugees driving the game from the forest and about run ins with the knights. Adding in the fact that Friar Tuck was addicted to her peach pie, she figured she had a pretty good shot at them backing her up. She circled closer to the door and stood between Sleepy and the group from Camelot. “Not indefinitely. Just until he sees a judge.”

“When will that be?”

“Whenever the Sheriff is back.” Granny saw Robin's men slowly moving to her side.

“When will the Sheriff be back?” Guinivere asked in a tone of exaggerated patience.

Granny took a second to read Guinivere's body language. She was in command of her men, and knew the game they were playing well enough not to let bloodshed break out in this round. But there was something about her eyes. Dull and detached, and she had the faint scent of magic. Almost the sickly sweet scent of a love potion, but more earthy, as if pixie dust had been mixed in. She'd have to check on that later with Belle. For now they needed to finish this round and get her men to stand down. She pasted on a practiced sweet grandmotherly smile and shrugged, “I have no idea.”

The knights behind Guinivere began to move forward, but she held out her arms to stop them. “That does sound like an indefinite time, wouldn't you say?”

Granny stepped back as she heard Belle rushing forward to stand between the two of them, insisting, “No – it's not.” She placed a hand on Granny's crossbow and gently lowered it. “The town by-laws state that a temporary Sheriff can be appointed if the existing Sheriff is unavailable.” She nodded encouragingly to Leroy who looked back at her with complete confusion. Belle widened her eyes and gestured at the Sheriff's badge on Sleepy's jacket, and then nodded to Granny.

Leroy's eyes widened and he blurted out, “I nominate Granny for Sheriff!”

Granny turned to Leroy and then back to Belle, blindsided by Belle's plan, “Now wait just one minute -” she stammered out.

“Seconded!” someone yelled from the crowd.

“All in favor?” Belle shouted, ignoring Granny's protests. She was greeted with a loud cry of approval from the crowd. “Opposed?” she asked. Belle continued before Granny could register any more objections, “The Aye's have it!” She took the badge from a relieved Sleepy and handed it to Granny. “Madam Sheriff,” she offered with a self-satisfied grin.

Guinivere tried to suppress a smile. “Well – Madam Sheriff – I assume that justice will be swift and our King's hearing will be imminent.” She gestured for her knights to leave, “Please send a messenger to our camp so that we may be there to lend our support.”

Granny was too busy glaring at Belle and Leroy to look at Guinivere directly and muttered an offhand, “Yeah – I'll send someone for ya.”

Belle's smile began to falter under Granny's glare, and she uncertainly offered, “So...congratulations?”

“I have a business to run, Mrs. Gold. I don't have time to -”

“You could take care of this with one crossbow tied behind your back and you know it!” Leroy interrupted.

Granny turned her glare on Leroy, and then glanced around the crowd. With Charming gone, they had no one to go to for protection, and there were undeniable tensions with the Camelot refugees. Someone had to do the job, and the dwarves were throwing in the towel. She lowered her crossbow, pulled her keys out of her sweater pocket, and tossed them to Leroy. “You and your brothers just got hired to take care of the diner. Don't burn it down.” Leroy opened his mouth to protest, but stopped as Granny raised an eyebrow and asked, “Or, would you rather take the Sheriff job?” Leroy grumbled, nodded to Sleepy, and they both headed back to the diner.

Granny rested the crossbow on her hip and turned to Robin's men, “I'm going to need deputies.”

Little John shook his head and laughed, “No thanks, ma'am. We don't do well with the law.”

Granny huffed out a laugh, “Me neither, but I'm stuck with the job, and I can't be everywhere. I just need eyes and ears and backup if things get rough – especially with that crowd from Camelot.” She saw their hesitation and decided to sweeten the deal. Sliding her glasses down her nose, she looked at Robin's men over the rims, “The job provides meals at the diner.”

John looked back at the other men, who were nodding in approval, and he reluctantly agreed, “Alright. We'll do it.”

Granny pasted on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, “Wonderful. Step in the office and pick up your badges.” She sighed and glanced at the crowd who were beginning to disperse. “One other thing,” she announced loudly enough to get the crowd's attention again. “As temporary Sheriff, I'm going to need a budget for my staff. That means I need a mayor to requisition funds from. With her absent as well, I'm sure the town by-laws have something in them about a temporary mayor.”

Belle looked at Granny suspiciously and shook her head, trying to remember, “No – I actually don't recall -”

“I nominate Belle Gold for Mayor” Granny announced loudly, not bothering to hide the smirk on her face. Belle stared speechlessly at Granny, and before she could begin to think of protesting the motion was seconded and carried. A satisfied smile firmly in place, Granny slapped her on the back, “Congratulations, Mayor Gold.”

 

 

 

 

Regina tapped the window with her fist as she tried to think of a way to get out of the office. The door was locked, but the windows were open, and if her magic had been responding then the twenty foot drop to the ground wouldn't have been an issue. She'd even checked the phones, not that she had any idea of who to call if they had been working. And the crowd surrounding the office was still staring up at her. All things considered, it really was a fitting punishment – locking her up to keep her from finding and protecting Henry. She wondered how many of the people down there had she separated from their children.

“I wish I could help,” Cora offered from near the door.

“Well, you can't,” Regina snapped back irritably. She regretted the response almost immediately – this Cora had her heart and did seem to honestly regret her actions. She could certainly relate to regret.

Cora approached hesitantly, “Do you know what they want?”

Regina turned to face her and raised an eyebrow, “My head on a platter?”

Cora shook her head, “Not necessarily.” She stood next to Regina and gestured to the throngs of people on the lawn. “They have unfinished business. You took them from their families and their homes. Doing the same to you is revenge, and any satisfaction they may get from revenge would not be enough to bring them peace.”

Regina turned her back to the crowd and leaned against the window, “What will bring them peace, then?”

“Knowing that those they left behind are being cared for,” Cora answered softly. “Their children, their wives and husbands, their parents. They died not knowing what would happen to them, and they can't let go of that. I'm not saying that they don't want revenge, and I expect they shall exact that from you rather painfully, but in the end your pain will not give them peace.”

Regina stared at her mother blankly, and then back out the window. However she might someday die, she knew that her family's safety would be far more important to her than any thoughts of vengeance. She didn't doubt that at least some of her victims harbored similar sentiments.

The question was, what could she do that would be enough to convince them?

 

 

 

 

 

The eternal twilight in the wastelands cast long shadows that David used to good advantage as he reached the edge of the encampment unnoticed. Most of the group seemed to be asleep by the time he'd reached their camp, but having seen what they'd done to the beast earlier he opted to stay hidden and watch until he found the one he'd seen take the beast down.

He slipped in back of a dune as he heard the night watch approaching, and then silently trailed the two guards as they passed. Now that he was closer he was able to get a better look at how young they were and he overheard the name “Pan” in their conversation. He grimaced at the thought of the Lost Boys who had died in Neverland only to find themselves here after death.

As the guards headed back toward the fire he stayed at the perimeter and looked over the camp. It was less surprising that Pan was here – he had seen him die, after all, and if anyone belonged here it was him. Unless he came up with another lead, it was a good bet that Rumple was with -

David hit the ground hard and it took him a split second the register that he'd been tackled from behind. He struggled against the guard on top of him, reaching out with one hand to try to find anything he could use as a weapon. He tried to bring his leg up to wedge himself free, but the guard anticipated the move and kicked the leg out from under him, sending him back into the sandy ground. Whoever this guard was knew how to fight, and matched David in size and strength. David stopped struggling, “I don't want to hurt anyone – I'm here looking for help.”

The guard behind him immediately loosened his grip. “David?”

David froze as he recognized the voice, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He should have figured it out. Who else could it have been? "Hi, Neal.”

Neal stood up and held out a hand to help David up, “You don't know how sorry I am to see you here.”

David grimaced and shook his head, “I didn't expect to see you here. You died a hero.”

Neal chuckled, and then waved off the group of boys who had come to help him. “I don't know about that. Doesn't matter anyway. How are you here? Are Henry and Emma OK?”

David shook his head and averted his eyes. As angry as Rumple had been about bringing Henry, Neal's anger would be even worse. He sighed and looked back at Neal's worried expression. “You're going to want to sit down for this.”

 

 

 

 

Henry wrapped his arms around the boy on his lap in an effort to keep him warm. He had expected Rumple to be crying by the time Malcolm finished with him, but the boy was eerily quiet. He simply stared straight ahead and Henry had been unable to get any reaction from him. He wasn't sure how long they'd been in the cellar Malcolm had shut them in, but it had been long enough for the temperature to become uncomfortably cold.

He looked down at the boy and brushed the hair from his face. Was this what it meant to be the author? He'd been completely unable to help - frozen in place with his eyes magically held open and no way to protect Rumple. All he could do was watch and wonder if Malcolm always been this abusive when Rumple was a boy.

Rumple started shivering, and Henry quickly took off his coat and wrapped it around him. He got up and sat Rumple in his place on the box, and ordered, “Stay here – I'm going to look for a blanket or something.” Rumple didn't move, but did wrap the coat around himself more tightly, so Henry supposed that was some kind of progress.

Henry began a circuit of the cellar, rooting through boxes for anything they could use to keep warm. He paused at the far corner as a cold draft made him shiver. After pulling away a couple of boxes, he found a boarded over window frame. It was a way out, and it only took him a few seconds to convince himself that whatever was out there had to be better than putting Rumple through more of Pan's abuse.

He looked through the trash littering the cellar's floor and settled on a broken wooden handle that was just about the right size to fit into a gap between the boards. Working frantically and ignoring the bloody cuts to his hands, he finally was able to pull enough of the boards free to make a hole large enough for them to fit through. He quickly pushed Rumple out and then followed himself, pausing for a second to get the lay of the land. Desert as far as he could see. He picked Rumple up and ran as fast as he could away from Pan's shop.

 


End file.
